The online Family Hour Guide
Which card is in your hand?
Type the card ID printed on your KiKnowa card and we'll bring up its guidance, so you always know how to open the conversation.
The ID is printed in the corner of each card. Deck 1 to 7, then the card number. For example D1.02 is Deck 1, Card 2.
Three small steps to a big conversation
Say the magic line
Gather around, open the box, and begin the way every KiKnowa moment begins:
"Let's see what KiKnowa wants to ask today..."
Journey through the 7 decks
KiKnowa works best when your family chooses a calm time to sit together: a family hour, after dinner, before bedtime, or a weekend connection moment. A simple way to begin:
- Sit together in a comfortable space
- Place the 7 decks in order
- Let the youngest family member choose who begins
- Draw one card from Deck 1, and everyone takes turns answering the same card
- Move through Deck 1 to Deck 7 at your family’s pace
- End with one small step forward
End with connection
Complete your Family Reflection Journal together, draw a memory from today's conversation, and close with a hug or a simple:
"Thank you for sharing your heart today."
- We listen to understand
- We thank one another for sharing
- We do not interrupt, mock, blame, or force
- We do not need to solve everything immediately
- We can pause and come back when we are ready
We are not here to blame. We are not here to prove who is right. We are here to understand one another a little better.
Anchor yourself before you guide
Before guiding your child, take a moment to anchor yourself. As the parent, your role is not to control the conversation. Your role is to hold the space with calm, care, and courage.
Lead with calm
Your child may not always know how to say what they feel. Your steadiness helps them feel safer to try.
Listen with care
Your first response can help your child feel safe enough to continue.
Stay curious
Your child’s sharing is not an attack. It is an opening.
When your child shares, try saying:
- Thank you for telling me.
- I hear you.
- Help me understand.
- I didn’t realise it felt that way.
- I want to listen before I respond.
When emotions feel big, try saying:
- This feels big. I am here.
- Let’s take a pause and come back when we’re ready.
- You’re not in trouble for having feelings.
- We don’t need to solve everything today.
Seven doors into one another's world
Each deck opens a different kind of conversation. Card IDs follow the deck, so a card from What We Feel starts with D2.
Hard moments are part of the journey
When your child says “I don’t know”
“I don’t know” may mean: I need more time, I do not have the words yet, I am not sure if it is safe to say, or I really do not know yet.
- That’s okay. We can take our time.
- Would it help if I give you some choices?
- You don’t have to answer now.
When emotions feel big
Sometimes a card may touch something deeper. This does not mean the conversation has failed.
- This feels big. I am here.
- We don’t have to continue now.
- Thank you for letting me know this matters.
Strong families are not built in one big conversation. They are built through many small conversations.
Close every Family Hour together
After each Family Hour, draw a picture for today's family memory together:
- A feeling
- A special moment
- Something you understand better now
- One small step your family will take together
"There are no perfect pictures. Just honest memories. One day, your family will smile as you look back on these memories together."
And as your family grows, write your own prompts on the 14 blank cards included in the box.
8 Parent Guide Videos
These short videos will help you use KiKnowa with more confidence at home.
What KiKnowa is really for
How to begin your first Family Hour
How to listen without correcting too quickly
How to support children who say “I don’t know”
How to hold emotions when they feel big
How to use the 7 decks meaningfully
How to create a family reflection ritual
How to keep the conversation culture growing
New to KiKnowa?
Meet the curious little friend behind the cards.